Around the world we have been seeing trends of reducing automobile usage. Reducing automile usage would have a number of advantages but it must be approached in the right way. If the US were to attempt to "limit car usage" as the prompt states, the movement would undoubtedly recieve a lot of push back and would slow to a stop. Reducing car usage by building public transportation and smart suburbs would be ideal. This would cut down our co2 emissions and be reduce the number of car related injuries and deaths.

First, if there is one thing I know about American politics, its that political parties will oppose just about anything, no matter how advantageous or logical, "limiting car usage" is no exception, if the Democratic party were to suggest such a thing, it would create an upoar from the Republican and Libertarian parties. This would become more controversial than gun restrictions, we would have another surge of anti-environmentalism propoganda, Limbaugh would be spitting "tree-huggers" again, and more likely than not, our country would drift even further away from any sort of environmental solutions. Trying to limit car usage on a Federal level would be met by utter failure.

However, there is a right way to approach this issue in the US. If we were to ask for grants to build public transportation systems, encourage car-pooling, and build efficient bike paths, car usage could be significantly reduced.

The advantages of reducing our use of automobiles in the US are well worth the cost.  Transportation is the second largest contributor of co2 emissions, just behind power plants. (Rosenthal, paragraph 34) Cutting these emissions, even by a fraction would have great benefits to our environment. David Goldburg, an official of Transportation for America states, "All of our development since World War 2 has been centered on the car, and that will have to change, how much you drive is as important as whether you have a hybrid." (7) The US has been moving towards a lower car use trend since the recession, "recent studies suggest that Americans are buying fewer cars, driving less and getting fewer licenses as each year goes by" (29).

In summary, reducing automoblie use in the US should be a goal, but it cannot be approached through laws or restrictions. We can model our suburbs and cities to be more friendly to alternate transportations, and we can build public transportation systems across America. The reduction of co2 emissions from cars will curb our contribution to Global Climate Change and make a better future for generations to come.                                                        